Binational Earthquake Study Is In The Works

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The California commission that investigates earthquakes says the recent Mexicali earthquake holds valuable lessons for the US and Mexico. The commission hopes to kick off a binational study.

The California commission that investigates earthquakes says the recent Mexicali earthquake holds valuable lessons for the US and Mexico. The commission hopes to kick off a binational study.

The Easter Day quake was felt throughout Baja California and as far north as Los Angeles.

It destroyed hundreds of miles of irrigation canals in the Mexicali Valley and hundreds of thousands of acres of crops. The quake sunk fields and flooded them.

Richard McCarthy is the Executive Director of California's Seismic Safety Commission. He says he's never seen an earthquake do that kind of damage to agriculture.

"We can take a look at how the Mexican farming community has been impacted and how they had distributed their water and then compare that to what we're doing. And then we can make a scenario about if the same event were to happen in one of our agricultural areas, how would it impact us," said McCarthy.

McCarthy says faults run through many important agricultural areas of California, including the Imperial Valley.

He hopes the study will help Mexico get international earthquake assistance.